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February 1, 2003
FREE
SPEECH
Envoronmental Extremism
By William
Sadler
Staff Writer
FRESNO STATE -- This
morning university officials are standing behind their decision
to invite a questionable group of radicals to meet with students
and discuss somethjing called "revolutionary environmentalism".
However, in the interst of fairness, the administration has just
announced that it would close the two-day February 13 and 14 event
to the public.
One of the featured speakers at the event
will be Rodney Coronado, of the Animal Liberation Front. Coronado
was convicted of arson and was sentenced to four years in prison
the 1992 fire-bombing Michigan State University animal labs.
The Earth Liberation Front are set to appear
at the conference. This group has claimed responsibility for starting
a fire last year at the University of Minnesota.
Fresno State administrtators have been
publicly scorned for using public monies promoting revolutionary
environmentalism. However, Prof. Ellen Gruenbaum, of the College
of Social Sciences at Fresno State, told reporters the conference
is supposed to bring to light many of the tactics employed by revolutionary
environmentalists, not promote them.
She said the conference was a chance to
have "dialogue and debate" about their tactics. The university's
department of political science and public administration, are sponsoring
the event.
Gruenbaum criticized what she terms as
" hostile characterization of the conference." In the
face of bad press, the administrators closed the meeting to the
public.
Letter to
the Editor
©1962-2003 Clovis Free Press.
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